As a child, my favorite thing about Christmas was cozying up to the fire with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate after I’d unwrapped my presents. (And no, I wasn’t born in a Charles Dickens novel.) But really, some of the best parts of the frenzied holiday season are those moments of tranquility where nothing but a warm blanket and a good read envelop you. To aid in helping your givees achieve literary bliss, the Alibi reached out to some experts. Staff from Bookworks (4022 Rio Grande NW, 344-8139) and Alamosa Books (8810 Holly NE, 797-7101) gave us their picks on the year’s top works. So whether you’re looking for apocalyptic vampire fiction (The Passage) or a kid’s book about kingdom-saving scullery maids (The Silver Bowl), these local booksellers are bound to bring some verve to your gifts.

Cold weather and hot springs go together like old-English font and rear-window decals here in the Land of Enchantment. From resorts and spas to natural rock formations in the national forest, New Mexico has a soaking experience for bathers on any budget.

Friends of Film, Video and Arts is back with another information-crammed monthly meeting. This Sunday, Nov. 20, from 3 to 5:30 p.m., Albuquerque filmmaker Nina Knapp and Angie Beauchamp from Lightning Web Marketing will present tips on running a successful crowdfunding campaign. Whether you’re a filmmaker, animator, game developer or other creative type, Internet-based crowdfunding is the future of production. Knapp and Beauchamp will cover tips for running a successful marketing campaign that will attract donors. Building email lists, establishing social media contacts and setting up a dynamic website in advance of launching your project are just a few of the areas that will be covered in this month’s interactive lecture. The event takes place at the Harwood Art Center’s basement theater (1114 Seventh Street NW). It’s free to FoFVA members and $10 for nonmembers.

I’ve already started the spiced nuts [“Go Nuts,” Nov. 10-16]. Next come dozens of jars of green-chile-cranberry chutney [“In a Pickle,” Oct. 13-19]. But if you’ve got a little extra cash to spend, I can think of a few gifts that’ll make someone’s holiday happier.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): If you go into a major art museum that displays Europe's great oil paintings, you'll find that virtually every masterpiece is surrounded by an ornate wooden frame, often painted gold. Why? To me, the enclosure is distracting and unnecessary. Why can't I just enjoy the arresting composition on the naked canvas, unburdened by the overwrought excess? I urge you to take my approach in the coming weeks, Aries. Push and even fight to get the goodies exactly as they are, free of all the irrelevant filler, extraneous buffers and pretentious puffery.